ISL next season is no longer a whisper. After months of courtroom drama, empty stadiums and players training without a league, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has told clubs and captains that the ISL upcoming season will be squeezed into a January–May window.
The top tier organization lost its commercial partner, and found no bidder for the rights, forcing the federation to ask the Supreme Court for guidance. AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey laid out an audacious plan: finish 180 matches in 150 days by staging multiple games across cities.
It’s a solution born of desperation, but it also lays bare the bigger question: what is wrong with Indian football?
January–May survival plan
The AIFF went into damage control after the commercial tender for the league attracted no bids. Instead of starting in September like last year, the ISL next season now depends on a Supreme Court ruling.
Chaubey told club CEOs that if a legal direction arrives by 29 November, the federation can secure a partner and kick off the next season of the ISL early in January. Until then, clubs and players have little choice but to wait and hope.
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A Compressed Calendar
The proposed schedule is staggering. To finish 180 matches in 150 days, the AIFF is considering triple-headers and multi-city match days.
In an online meeting, Chaubey insisted the math adds up: more than three games a day might seem extreme, but with 14 teams and limited weeks, he believes it is “logical, not impossible.” For supporters wondering how the ISL next season will look, here’s a concise timeline:
| Date/Period | Event (short) |
| 13 Nov 2025 | AIFF meets club CEOs; promises January start |
| End Nov 2025 | Supreme Court expected to rule on commercial tender |
| Jan–May 2026 | Proposed window for the ISL upcoming season |
| 180 matches/150 days | Multi-city matches & triple-headers |
While this plan might salvage the ISL next season, it raises obvious worries: player fatigue, logistical nightmares and crowded broadcast slots. More fundamentally, it reveals systemic flaws in Indian football governance.
AIFF Prez. Kalyan Chaubey’s masterstroke planning for conducting #ISL 🗣️
“We can have multi-city matches, maybe 3 or 4 in a day, if needed. So, finishing 180 matches in 150 days is logical, not impossible,”
Players recovery, logistics, & broadcasting – all gone for a toss 🥴 📉 pic.twitter.com/rVoITl1MFY
— Hussain (@Hussainov1ch) November 13, 2025
What is wrong with Indian football?
Critics argue that the ISL next season scheduling crisis is a symptom, not the disease. Investigative reports highlight how the AIFF has been mired in mismanagement and internal battles.
A ‘Field Vision’ analysis describes the federation’s governance as “more focused on political manoeuvring than fixing football.” Previous presidents made grand promises, yet grassroots development and accountability remained neglected.
Youth development is another casualty. A reduction in foreign-player quotas was meant to expand opportunities for Indians, but instead it inflated salaries without improving quality.
Many players choose glamorous contracts over grinding through academies, and few dare to play abroad. Veteran striker Sunil Chhetri recently lamented that Indian football is “hurt, scared” and that uncertainty has affected more than 5,000 players and staff.
India’s men’s team has fallen to 133rd in the FIFA rankings and won just one of their last 16 matches, a stark reminder that the pipeline of talent is drying up. Finance structures are also an obstacle.
The long-term agreement the AIFF has with Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) brings an estimated 31 crore annually, with a possible profit-sharing bringing the federation down to only 14 percent. Clubs are propagating preaching promotion/relegation, but they oppose reforms in a back door manner. With the league being closed, there is no relegation of a team, and it is wasting competition and investor interest.
Amit Mishra’s Thoughts
Heading into the ISL next season, there is a sense that a crisis could breed opportunity. National team director Subrata Paul said he views the uncertainty as a chance to refocus on youth development and quality coaching.
If the AIFF manages to pull off a successful compressed season, it could prove that flexible calendars are viable and that the federation can adapt. But success will also depend on addressing the deeper issues: transparent governance, grassroots investment, and a merit-based league structure.
For fans desperate to see the ISL upcoming season, the January–May window is both a lifeline and a warning. A lifeline because football will return; a warning because the same problems could resurface if underlying faults aren’t fixed.
The story of ISL next season thus mirrors Indian football itself: dramatic, uncertain and desperately in need of reform.
CONTINUE READING: AIFF Approaches The Supreme Court After ISL Rights Bid Fails
FAQs
When will the ISL next season start?
The ISL upcoming season is expected to kick off in early January 2026, provided the Supreme Court rules on the league’s commercial tender by the end of November.
How many matches will be played in the ISL next season?
AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey proposed completing 180 matches in 150 days during the next season of the ISL, using multi-city triple-headers.
Why is the ISL next season delayed?
The tender for the league’s commercial rights attracted no bids, forcing the AIFF to seek legal direction from the Supreme Court and delay the ISL upcoming season until a new partner is secured.
Can the ISL next season fix what is wrong with Indian football?
While the compressed calendar may rescue the next season of the ISL, experts argue that systemic issues, poor governance, inadequate youth development and financial mismanagement, must be addressed for lasting improvement.
Who is responsible for organising the next season of ISL?
All India Football Federation (AIFF) is in charge of planning the ISL next season, although it has to liaise with clubs, broadcast partners and Supreme Court to complete the schedule.
